


Tainted Souls

by Ryoko_Ishida



Category: Bleach
Genre: F/M, Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-11
Updated: 2019-03-17
Packaged: 2019-11-15 08:07:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,494
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18069695
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ryoko_Ishida/pseuds/Ryoko_Ishida
Summary: A strange and powerful Reiatsu appears in Soul Society. Captain Ukitake is tasked with finding who or what was the cause. Imagine his surprise when he finds a young child as thin as a stick. He brings her back to the Seireitei where she is given permission to live there while she trains her powers. During this time, she meets and befriends people she never expected to form bonds with. But those bonds are tested and strained again and again.Hidden in the shadows, Aizen watches as she gains control of her power, a sinister look in his eye and a plan in his mind that will turn the Seireitei on its head.((Follows anime/manga plot with changes further down the line. Starts during Turn Back The Pendulum Arc))





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This is a story brought over from FanFic.net. Figured I'd put it here to see how well it's received.
> 
> I also have a Discord for the story if you wish to join. Feel free to ask any questions, suggest anything, or just talk with me and other readers!
> 
> The Discord is Tainted Souls.

_**I promise I'll make this quick, since a lot of you just want to read the thing and probably won't read this anyway (I never do). This opening takes place around 110 years BEFORE the actual start of the series. So people like Shinji, Isshin, and Yoruichi will still be Captains. But fear not. This story is still ToshiroxRyoko.** _

_**I have four chapters ready (including this one), and the fifth one incoming. I won't promise to upload them on any given day, though I'll try to be consistent. But I think we all know how crappy I am with keeping a schedule.** _

_**Anyway, please tell me what you think!** _

* * *

There was screaming. There was lots and lots of screaming. She didn't know what was happening. Things were going well… She and her family were having a nice dinner; her mother, father, and older brother were all together around the table just talking and laughing. Next thing she knows, she's being ushered into a closet by her brother.

There were strange people. They were dressed in black… and had strange swords with them. She could hear distorted and broken words coming from her parents, but they were muted due to the yelling and screaming. Those people just… barged into the house. They attacked her family. Father was yelling, mother was getting out her own weapon. Chaos erupted almost instantly.

Her father was first. One of the people hurt him badly and he fell to the floor. He didn't get up.

That's all she saw of the fighting before her brother dragged her into the deepest parts of the house. They were running into room after room before the brother brought her to her room. He opened the closet and pushed her in.

"Stay there," he said, "Don't move or make a sound."

"Haru…" she whispered in terror, reaching out to her older brother. He grasped her hand tightly and gave her a warm smile.

"Don't worry, I'll come back for you. Just wait here, okay? You can trust in me, right?" the girl nodded, her whole body trembling in fear. She trusted her brother completely. The brother reached around his neck and took off his necklace, which had a cross pendant with a bright blue jewel in the middle. He put it around her own neck and tapped the jewel, making it glow for a moment before returning to normal. "I love you, Ryoko." Her eyes widened as he kissed her forehead. "Stay put." He stood up and closed the closet doors.

The little girl heard Haru run out of the room and call to the attackers before racing further down the hall. She was frozen in fear, her eyes wide and body shaking. She could see through the crack between the closet doors, but other than that, she was blind to the happenings around them. She could hear shouts and screams and things breaking and falling...

Suddenly, she heard footsteps running down the hall...toward her! She barely contained a squeak of shock when the door was swung open by the attackers. She slowly opened one eye, not even realizing she closed them, and slowly-and carefully-moved closer to the crack of the door to see whatever she could. She saw two people. Strange people. Dressed in black. But there were strange stains on their clothing, like someone squirt ketchup on them. She realized one of them walking her way and moved back from the crack and into the darkness.

"Find anything?" one of them said.

"Nothing. I could've sworn I felt a spiritual pressure here," the other replied in aggravation.

"Well, whatever it was, it's gone now. Come on, let's finish our job and go."

The two men walked out of the room, leaving Ryoko to release a breath she had been holding. Her head spun in confusion and fear. What job? Why were they hurting her family?

After a while, the sounds seemed to have calmed down. Ryoko stayed in that closet for a long time, wondering where her brother was. Finally, she decided to look for him herself. Slowly opening the doors, she wandered out of the room and down the hall to the dining room. When she got there, her body froze and her eyes widened.

"M-mommy…? D-d-daddy?" She stared in horror at the sight before her. Her parents were sprawled on the floor in different parts of the room. Their bodies were cut up and lay in a pool of red liquid. She couldn't look away from the sight no matter how much she wanted to.

A thought popped into her head and in a flash she was running down the halls in the house, checking every room and corner. "Haru?!" her voice cracked as she screamed his name. She needed to find him. She needed to!

She passed one of the rooms, only to stop and look inside again. Her eyes widened in shock. Her brother was laying against the wall, his head and limbs limp. More red liquid dripped from his mouth, head, torso...everywhere.

"Brother!" Ryoko ran up to him and knelt down quickly, shaking him. "Wake up! You have to! Please!"

After a few moments, the boy groaned in pain. Her eyes lit up for only a moment before letting go of him and leaning forward to get a better look at him. His eyes opened slightly, a bit glassy. He looked over to see the worried look on his sister's face, and gave her a weak smile. "H-hey… Ryoko…"

"Brother… M-mommy and daddy… they aren't moving," she said, tears filling her eyes and blurring her vision. "I-I don't understand… Why are you hurt? Who hurt us?"

Haru frowned, seeing his sister cry. Despite the pain, he moved his hand up and stroked the young child's face. "Hey… D-don't cry…" Ryoko sniffled, leaning into the touch. "Y-you're a big girl...right?"

She sniffled again, nodding.

"Then…don't cry…"

"I-I can't help it…" she said, trembling, "I-I don't wanna be a-alone…" She wrapped her arms around his and hugged it, rubbing her cheek against his hand. Tears flowed out of her closed eyes and down her cheeks.

Haru said nothing as he watched Ryoko cry, his frown deepening. He didn't want to leave her alone. But he wouldn't last much longer. He could feel himself slipping away…

"Hey… Look at me…" he said in a hushed tone. Ryoko opened her eyes and stared into his own, gold meeting gold. He gave her the warmest and biggest smile he could. "You won't be alone…understand?"

She frowned before looking down, feeling her dress getting wetter. Her eyes widened when she noticed the pool of blood getting bigger. She felt the hand on her cheek move and pull her chin up to look at Haru and away from the red blood.

"I'll always… be there… with you…" he said, taking deep breaths every couple words. He lowered his hand and tapped the crystal on the cross. Ryoko looked down at the necklace, then at him. His smile had gotten smaller, but was still there. "S-see that? W-whenever you have that...you're never alone…" His voice started to fade.

The little child's eyes widened as she watched his hand fall to his side with a thud. Her eyes shot back up to his own. She could see his eyes slightly hidden behind his blue bangs enough to see they were starting to close. "Brother?"

"Ryoko…" his voice was barely a whisper anymore, and Ryoko had to strain to hear it. She leaned in closer.

"W-what?"

"C-can you…say my name…o-one more…time…?"

His soft plea caused Ryoko's heart to drop. Her eyes shut tightly for a moment before opening once again. She gave him her biggest and kindest smile she could, despite it not reaching her eyes. "I-I love you…Haru…"

Haru smiled weakly at her before his eyes finally closed, his head leaning on his shoulder as he let out his last breath.

Ryoko's smile slowly dropped and she looked at him with regret and sadness. Tears flowed faster down her face and blurred her vision almost completely. She jolted forward and wrapped her arms around him, crying out openly.

Why did this happen? Why did those people do this? What right did they have to make her alone? Her mommy didn't deserve it. Her daddy didn't deserve it. Haru didn't deserve it!

She didn't leave her brother's side that night. Ignoring the blood, she curled around him, hugging his arm, and tried to sleep through the night. Being near her brother, despite being deceased, allowed her to have a nice dream...one that allowed her to momentarily forget her real life and all the pain she went through.

But it wasn't the end.

She awoke the next morning to the smell of death and blood. She sat up and rubbed the tiredness from her eyes, only to see her brother's body once more. Tears pricked at her eyes, but she wiped them quickly, noticing the dried blood on her clothing from sleeping there overnight. She looked at her brother with a frown. She didn't want to leave him…he made her feel safe and happy…but now that he was gone, she had to leave. Those people could come back again. She stood up and placed a kiss on his forehead before reluctantly walking out of the room, gripping the cross pendant tightly in her fist.

She went into her room and changed into a plain white dress with a blue trim, and put on a pair of white shoes. She put her hair into a ponytail with a white ribbon in a bow, and put two white clips in to keep her bangs out of her face. She stared into the mirror at her reflection for a minute.

Her eyes were no longer bright and shining. They were dull and sad. She lost everything so quickly… She wanted to cry, she wanted to scream… But she was just numb. Her tears were gone, spent last night mourning her losses.

Sighing, she left the room, then out of the house the back way. She couldn't bear to see her parents again. It hurt too much.

She closed the door behind her and stepped back, looking at her home of ten years. After this, she knew she'd never see this place again. With a deep breath, she turned, shifted the back on her back, and walked toward the nearest town.

She wandered around the forest for what seemed like forever. She didn't know how long it had been. Suddenly, a loud howl was heard. She stopped and whipped her head around, looking for a origin of said howl, but finding nothing. Gulping, she started walking again, only to hear the howl much closer.

Panicking, Ryoko started to run. She didn't know where she was anymore as trees and grass flew by her.

She continued running until her legs gave out. She fell face-first into the dirt with a pained grunt, feeling the bruises already forming. Noticing a tree, she quickly hid behind it, trying to calm herself down enough to not be noticed. She heard the roaring in the distance and sucked in a breath, her eyes shutting tightly as if it would keep the creature away. After a few minutes, the roaring disappeared completely.

Ryoko let out a breath and hyperventilated for a moment as she tried to regain her bearings. She didn't know what that noise was, and she definitely didn't want to. She took a couple deep breaths as she leaned against the large tree trunk. Bringing her head back against the tree allowed her to see the sky as it started to lighten. Her hand unconsciously reached up to grasp the cross, allowing her to ground herself once more and calm down.

A frown crossed her face as she looked down at the cross. "Haru…" Her eyes shut tightly, tears threatening to spill.

" _Y-you're a big girl...right? ... Then…don't cry…"_

She sniffled and wiped the unshed tears, looking at the path ahead with a determined look. "I won't cry anymore…" she vowed in a hushed whisper before starting her trek once more. Unfortunately, she had run off the trail leading to the town. The area around her was unfamiliar; new. She didn't know where she was or what direction led where. She could only hope the direction she went would eventually lead to civilization.

She didn't know how long it was. Night turned to day. Day turned to night. Over and over. Whenever she thought she found civilization, a strange roar nearby would scare her into running a different direction.

Her stomach rumbled and she placed a hand on it, looking down at it with a frown. Her food had run out a few days back… She needed help!

So hungry… so cold… Where were the people? Why hasn't she found anyone? How big are these woods?

Even more time passed… She now barely registered the pain in her legs from walking.

She felt so weak… She just wanted to rest, but knew that if she did, she wouldn't want to start again. So she kept going.

She barely registered the dark spots that now littered her vision.

She didn't notice how thin her body had become.

She felt the pain grow as she walked, her limbs creaking and hurting like never before, but she couldn't do anything about it.

Darkness swam in her vision, slowly growing until it consumed all of what she saw. She didn't feel herself falling. She didn't feel the blood drain from her face. She didn't feel.

Ryoko slowly awoke sometime later, her vision returning, but still blurry. She blinked her eyes a few times before groaning. Her head hurt, her stomach hurt; she felt like she was going to implode. She felt her bones creak as she pulled herself up slowly so she wouldn't fall. She took a few steps forward before falling again, her limbs simply too weak to continue. She curled in on herself, her body shaking.

She didn't register that her dress changed to a simple pale blue yukata.


	2. The Fated Meeting

Ukitake rubbed his head as he stared at the paper on his desk, reading it over. To the left and right of him were stacks of paperwork. He let out a sigh and leaned back, stretching his sore muscles. He heard a knock on his door and looked over to it. "Come in."

The door opened, revealing his Lieutenant, Kaien Shiba. Ukitake smiled, grateful for the distraction. "Ah, Kaien. To what do I owe this visit?"

"Captain Ukitake," he greeted with a smile before turning serious, "Unfortunately, I'm not here for a visit." Ukitake frowned in worry. "A large spike of reiatsu was sensed by some Shinigami on patrol in the Northern Rukongai district. The spike originated from the forest outside the town."

"A spike in the Rukongai district?" Ukitake asked in surprise, placing a hand on his chin. "Strange… I wonder why I hadn't felt it?"

"Head-Captain Yamamoto asked for our division to go investigate the strange occurrence."

The white-haired man leaned back in his seat as he thought about what the reason for the spike could have been. "Do they know if the source moved since the spike?"

Kaien shook his head. "No. It suddenly vanished after a few seconds, but the Shinigami on patrol were able to find the basic area of the origin point."

With a nod, Ukitake stood. "Alright. Inform the third, fourth, and fifth seats. We are to leave as soon as possible. I would like you to assist me, as well."

"Of course, Captain," Kaien bowed in respect before closing the door and using shunpo to leave quickly and inform the others.

Ukitake closed his eyes. ' _What could have been the source of that energy? A Hollow? It's possible, but something tells me that's far from the truth.'_  He looked down at his paperwork and sighed. "At least I'll have a break…"

* * *

When they were all ready to go, Ukitake and the other four Shinigami traveled quickly to the Rukongai. They met up with the Shinigami who had felt the Reiatsu first hand and were now being led to the forest.

"What do you think of this, Kaien?" Ukitake asked his Lieutenant as he walked next to him. Kaien looked at his Captain through the corner of his eye before looking forward again.

"Hard to say… I haven't heard of anything like this before. It could be a new soul that suddenly lost control of their Reiatsu when they entered Soul Society, but even then it's highly unlikely."

"It could also be a Hollow, but I don't believe this is the case…" Ukitake pointed out.

"Though that begs the question," Kaien said, "If it is a soul… Just how powerful could they be? After all, if they're a threat-"

"Then we will deal with that when it comes." Ukitake cut off.

"Let's hope it doesn't come to that."

Suddenly, they all felt a spike in Reiatsu from deeper into the forest. Kaien and Ukitake glanced at each other. It was strong, alright. But something about it was…off.

"Captain Ukitake, we must hurry!" one of the patrol Shinigami exclaimed, "The Reiatsu is fading. This spike is weaker than the last."

Ukitake nodded, sensing the urgency. The eight Shinigami quickly made their way toward the Reiatsu as it continued to fade. Unfortunately, they were unable to find the exact location before it faded. They decided to stop for a moment to regain their bearings.

Ukitake and Kaien stood to the side, keeping an eye out for anyone that could be giving out the strange Reiatsu. The Thirteenth Division's fifth seat walked up to the two. "Captain, sir?"

"Hm? What is it?" Ukitake asked, turning to him. The Shinigami fidgeted a bit before speaking.

"I just… find something odd about the situation."

"Odd how?" Kaien asked.

"Multiple pulses of Reiatsu within a short amount of time? It sounds strange to me," the man said, "I think they're trying to get our attention."

Kaien stiffened a bit. "What do you mean?" Ukitake asked, feeling a bit uneasy.

"It's just an idea, but I've seen something like this before. During one of my missions to exterminate Hollows. One of the group members had gotten separated, and sent out spikes of reiatsu to get out attention." the fifth seated officer's eyes narrowed. "It's a signal for help."

As if on cue, another, even weaker shot of Reiatsu caught their attention. Expression turning dark, Ukitake wasted no time in rushing toward the source, leaving Kaien and the others to follow soon after.

' _Who could need our help? With Reiatsu as strong as this...surely they would be fine themselves.'_

When he got to the epicenter of the strange Reiatsu, he could not have been more shocked. He stopped a few feet away, staring down at the person with wide eyes. In front of him lay a small child, clearly a new soul. She was curled up in a ball on her side, her eyes shut tightly and her hands clasped in a death grip together near her neck. She wore the same garb as any soul, but something was off.

Ukitake walked up to her and knelt down, placing a hand on her arm. He reeled back slightly when he felt how thin her arm was. Worry now flooding through him, he moved one of the sleeves and uncovered the bone-thin limbs. His eyes widened even more and he brought his hand back slightly. He was surprised this girl was even alive, let alone shooting out that powerful Reiatsu. He didn't notice Kaien and the other Shinigami appearing behind him.

"Captain?" Kaien asked, taking a step forward in confusion. Ukitake said nothing, continuing to stare sadly at the shivering girl. "Captain?" Now worried himself, Kaien started to walk forward. When he saw the girl, his eyes widened in shock as well. "The hell? This child sent out the powerful Reiatsu?"

The white-haired man took off his Haori and draped it over the girl before gently and carefully picking her up. "Kaien," he said seriously as he turned to his Lieutenant, "Go back to the Sereitei and get Captain Unohana. Tell her we have a child in critical condition and prepare a room immediately."

Kaien nodded without hesitation. "Yes, Captain," he said before disappearing. Ukitake turned his head back to the young girl, whose shivering had gone down slightly. One of her hands slowly reached and gripped the haori around her, making him smile softly.

Finally, he turned to the other Shinigami. "Let's move."

* * *

Ryoko looked around. She didn't know where she was. One moment she was in a forest, and then she was in a town. How did she get there? When she looked up, the night sky greeted her. The stars gleamed brightly against the black sky. The moon was settled above her in the middle of the sky; a beautiful and perfect crescent.

"W-where am I…?"

She started walking. Her body felt lighter and easier to move in compared to a few minutes ago, confusing her even further. Suddenly, a large blue flame erupted behind her. She whipped around to see it rushing toward her, eating up the ground and the buildings it touched. Her eyes widened to dinner plates before she turned and started running away, the fire following quickly.

"HELP!" she screamed, running as fast as she could to try and escape the flames. She turned corners and weaved through houses and trees, but the flame was still following her.

" _Child…"_

Ryoko's eyes widened at the voice and she stopped running, her head whipping around back and forth to try and find the source of the voice. "Hello?"

" _Child…"_

"W-where are you?!" she exclaimed, looking around more frantically. She heard the flames roaring behind her and started running again. "Please! If you're there, help me-AH!" her leg hit a rock and caused her to fall to trip and slam into the ground with a grunt. With her eyes shut tight, she started to get up. Her eyes widened when she felt a burning feeling in her leg. She looked back and saw the blue flame wrapping around her leg.

Ryoko screamed and tried to get away, but the flame continued to wrap around her like a snake. Her eyes shut tightly as the blue fire consumed her slowly. She released another scream as the searing pain became too much and she passed out.

The slithering blue flames that were wrapped around the young girl started moving, slowly bringing her upward until she was near the top of the towering fire. Two deep red eyes opened from within, staring at Ryoko.

" _My child… One day, you will know my name…"_

* * *

Ryoko's eyes shot open and she gasped as she woke up. Her chest heaved up and down as she breathed heavily from the shock of what happened in her dream. She groaned soon after from the pain in her chest and, well, the rest of her body. She could barely move a muscle, and her voice was dry and cracked. It hurt to breathe. It hurt to swallow. It hurt to do anything.

She heard a door open and looked over to what she thought was going to be a doctor, but was surprised when a beautiful woman with a elegant and long black ponytail cascading down her front walked over to her, a kind yet worried smile on her lips. "Hello young one. How are you feeling?" Ryoko stared at her with fear, unsure of whether to trust her or not. The woman seemed to notice this. "Don't worry. I'm not going to hurt you. I'm the one who helped heal you, after all," she chuckled, "My name is Retsu Unohana."

Unohana… That name was not familiar to her. "W-where am I…?" she winced at the scratchiness in her voice.

"You're in a hospital, so to speak. My name is Retsu Unohana, the Captain of the Fourth Squad in the Seireitei." The woman spoke in a calm and organized manner, but most of what she said still flew right past the young child's head.

"W-what?"

The elder woman smiled sadly at the child and opened her mouth to speak when there was a knock on the door. "Come in."

The door opened, and a tired-looking boy walked in, bowing to his superior before talking. "Captain Unohana, Captain Ukitake wishes to-"

"KYYYAAAAAAAAHHHH!"

The ear-splitting scream jolted the newer Shinigami and surprised Unohana. Their heads whipped over to Ryoko, who was sitting up and pushing herself as far back in the bed as possible despite the pain and injuries she has. Unohana quickly stood and turned to her fully, worry evident in her eyes. "Please, you must calm down-" When she reached for Ryoko's arm, her fingers touched a light blue barrier that had appeared out of seemingly nowhere, shocking her and making her bring her hand back in surprise.

"W-what's happening?" the Shinigami asked, his droopy eyes wide in worry. He took a step forward but it only resulted in more screaming and moving from Ryoko in an attempt to get further away.

Unohana watched this exchange and quickly connected the dots, turning to her subordinate. "Hanataro, get Captain Ukitake and do not come back inside until I say. For some reason, she is afraid of you," the 4th Captain said in a calm but stern voice. Hanataro nodded and quickly left to get the other Captain.

Unohana turned back to the frightened child and frowned. She would not be able to touch her because of the strange barrier, which only made matters worse because she could not heal her if she cannot get close enough. She knew it was a risk bringing another Soul Reaper inside, but Captain Ukitake was a natural with children, and she had a feeling he was already close due to the amount of reiatsu emitted from the girl.

While she waited for Ukitake, Unohana did her best to try and soothe the girl. While it did get her to stop screaming, the barrier would not go down, bringing her to a loss. Thankfully, the door opened and Ukitake walked inside, Hanataro waiting just outside in case he was needed.

When Ukitake walked in, the girl started trying to back up again before giving up and trying to hide her face. The Captain of the Thirteenth Squad looked at her with a sad expression before looking at Unohana. "What's going on?"

"I'm sure you felt the strange spike in reiatsu," Unohana said, walking over to the man and creating some distance between her and Ryoko.

"Yes. Hanataro explained the situation to me. Or at least what he understood." Jushiro looked at the shaking and clearly frightened girl with a creased brow, studying the barrier of light blue energy around her. "I still find it fascinating that a young child like her could give off this much Spiritual Pressure."

"I was hoping you would be able to help me lower the barrier around her," Unohana said, turning to him, "You are better at dealing with children than I. Especially frightened ones." She looked back to Ryoko. "She is terrified of Hanataro for a reason; what that reason is, I do not know. She didn't have trouble with me, but that could be due to slow reaction times since she just awoke."

"Do you have any theories?" Ukitake asked, looking at her. Unohana thought for a moment before replying.

"Honestly, I don't have much of a clue. After all, she had only just appeared. It's highly unlikely she remembers her past, and even more unlikely that a Soul Reaper was a result of her death." Ukitake took a moment to digest the information before nodding and sighing.

"I'll see what I can do," he told her, not promising anything but willing to give it a try.

With that, he walked carefully over to the bed the young girl sat on. Her legs were brought up and she had her head lowered between her knees and chest, her arms wrapped around her legs. Her entire body shook in fear. He brought up a chair and sat next to the bed. The sound of the chair scratching across the ground caught her attention and her head whipped up, her eyes meeting his.

They stared at each other for a few moments before Ukitake spoke in a soft voice, "Hello. Don't be afraid; I'm not going to hurt you. My name is Jushiro Ukitake. What's your name?" He spoke calmly and in an even tone so as to not scare her any more than it is.

She watched him closely; every movement he made was tracked by her eyes before they returned to his own. After a long silence, Ukitake started to think that she would remain tight-lipped. With a resigned sigh, he started to stand.

"R-Ryoko…"

Ukitake stopped and looked at the shaking girl, who was staring directly into his eyes. He was surprised she spoke to him, but he wouldn't question it right now. Instead, he smiled softly and returned to his seat. "That's a beautiful name," he replied. Ryoko looked down with a slight blush on her cheeks from the compliment. "How old are you, Ryoko?" he asked.

"...Ten…"

"Do you remember what happened to you, Ryoko?" he asked in a soft voice. Ryoko shook her head, retreating further into herself.

"I-I don't know… I-I was w-walking in a forest… There were loud roars… a-a-and I ran…" She subconsciously reached down and rubbed her stomach, an action that wasn't lost on Ukitake. He glanced at Unohana and confirmed that she, too, had seen the action. "I-I was so h-h-hungry… My stomach h-hurt so much… And then, e-e-everything went black… n-next thing I know… I'm here…"

Ukitake digested the information, a hand on his chin as he quickly realized what happened to her. It was clear that she had starved to death and was transported to Soul Society. But one thing was unclear. "Why were you in the forest?"

Ryoko was silent at that, staring at the bed in sadness, tears pricking at her eyes and threatening to fall. Image of that terrible day flooded her head and her eyes shut tightly, wanting to be rid of them. Ukitake noticed and decided to change the subject.

"Ryoko, I need you to lower the barrier around you, alright?" he asked calmly. She looked at him in confusion before noticing the shield around her for the first time.

"B-but I didn't make it… What's g-going on?!" She shut her eyes tightly and dug her nails into the sides of her head, shaking it quickly. The elder Captain thought on how to calm her down.

"Hey, it's alright. Don't be afraid," he said soothingly, "I'm right here. I won't let you get hurt, alright?" he opened her eyes a bit and looked at him in surprise at what he said.

"B-but…" she mumbled, looking down. He raised an eyebrow, waiting to hear what she would say. Her mouth opened and closed multiple times, struggling to find something to say. "My home… was attacked by p-people like you…" Both Captains froze, staring at her in different degrees of shock. "People dressed in b-black… with strange s-s-swords… They hurt my f-family."

"So you escaped into the woods," Ukitake muttered quietly, though loud enough for her to hear. She nodded, not making eye contact. "And that's why you reacted to Hanataro that way. He was dressed similar to those who hurt you." She nodded again, her body shaking in fear, making his frown deepen. She was scared out of her mind. And who wouldn't be? When you're suddenly surrounded by those who hurt you. It's no wonder she screamed at Hanataro and why a barrier appeared to subconsciously protect her. The problem now was getting her to trust him.

"I-I'm sorry… P-p-please don't k-kill me…"

The old Captain smiled kindly. "I would never harm a child. Much less one who has been hurt beyond measure at such a young age." Ryoko looked at him with wide eyes, hearing the genuine concern and truth behind his words. But she was still skeptical, distrust showing in her eyes. Ukitake kept his smile and he held his hand out. "Please, Ryoko, give me a chance to prove that we won't hurt you. Let me prove that you can trust us."

She stared at the hand, then at him. She was conflicted. She didn't trust them at all, but where else could she go? The adrenaline was slowly draining from her body, making her pain come back full circle, and making her feel weaker.

She was terrified of these people, but this man was being really kind to her. Maybe she should give it a try… He seemed nicer than those men that attacked, but she knew he would have to earn her full trust, something she was sure he also knew.

Finally coming to a decision, she slowly, and a little bit hesitantly, reached her hand toward his as soon as it touched and passed the barrier, it dissolved, allowing her to grasp his hand. The Captain was happy she wanted to try and become friends, but there was another, more pressing matter: her wounds.

"Ryoko, do you mind letting Captain Unohana tend to your injuries?" Ryoko looked unsure as she looked over to the braided woman who sat calmly and patiently on the other side of the room. "If she doesn't treat them, you'll never get better. You're very thin and weak. She'll help you heal so you can walk around." She thought for a moment before looking away and blushing slightly, confusing the white-haired man. "Something wrong?"

Sighing, she gestured him to come closer, and he did. She whispered something in his ear and he chuckled. He waved Unohana over and she sat on the opposite side of the bed, looking at him with a look that said she wanted to know what was said.

"She'll cooperate with you as long as I'm here," Ukitake explained, "She's still going to be nervous around us, but she is willing to give it a try. She also doesn't want to see any of the other Soul Reapers for a while." Unohana nodded in understanding. She still wasn't comfortable with just the two of them; having other Shinigami come to check up on her would just force her to relive old memories.

"Alright. But the Captain cannot always be here. We have work to do as heads of our divisions," Unohana explained to Ryoko. The child looked down sadly, not liking the idea of being alone. Unohana smiled softly at her. "Don't worry. At least one of us will check up on you every now and then. But right now, the only things you really need are sleep and food. My healing Kido can only do so much."

Ryoko send a confused look toward the older woman, who only waved it off, saying she'd explain tomorrow. Deciding that was as good an answer as she would ever get, Ryoko carefully settled back into a sleeping position and closed her eyes, letting sleep overtake her tired mind and body.


	3. Ryoko, meet Shinji

It would be months after Ryoko first woke up that she would be able to leave the Fourth Division. Unohana wanted to make sure she was eating and that she would be stable enough to go out. For the first couple weeks, Ryoko's muscles were so weak and frail that she could barely move, and had to be hand-fed while she slowly gained the strength she needed to eat by herself. Unohana didn't want to go too fast with the process, or it could backfire. If Ryoko ate too much right away, then she would get sick and they would have to start from square one. So she was fed a little bit more every few days to get her used to eating again.

Ukitake, as promised, visited as much as he could, since Ryoko was still wary around everyone else, even Unohana to an extent. He would help take care of her and act as sort of an assistant to Unohana. Unfortunately, due to his status as a Captain, he was unable to see her as much as she wanted, even being gone days at a time. There was one time he hadn't shown up for a week, and she had thrown a tantrum in her fear that he would never return. Unohana quickly contacted him and he appeared to calm her down.

During the first week of her hospitalization, there was a Captain's meeting about what to do with the "mystery girl with the extremely powerful Spiritual Pressure". There, Ukitake retold the events of what had happened before, during, and after he found her. With the help of Captain Unohana, he explained her condition and what needed to be done to get her back to normal strength. The Captain-Commander decided to think on what should be done with her in the long run, but told Ukitake to keep an eye on her for any suspicious behavior or powers, a task made even simpler when he was already the one Ryoko trusted most. Unohana was, as said before, a close second.

The two Captains explained to the girl about what happened to her and where she was. They tried to break it to her as gently as possible, but it was a hard thing to do when talking about your own death. She was distraught, obviously. Slowly she grew to accept the fact that she was now dead, and wanted to make sure she didn't die again. She even asked them if they saw her family, but they unfortunately couldn't give her any information.

Every night, she would have the same recurring dream of fire and that strange voice. Every time, the voice tried to talk to her, but she could never hear it clearly. The fire was always big and intimidating, and it felt as though she was suffocating or melting from the extreme heat. But she never told anyone. She didn't know if she completely trusted them, and even then, she wasn't sure how they would react to such a strange dream. She decided to stay quiet about the situation.

A few months after she arrived, Ukitake decided to bring Kaien in to see her, as he was worried about the girl's health. When he arrived, Ryoko was afraid, but recognized the "strange air" around him. He explained that he was one of the Shinigami who helped her when they found her. Ukitake also explained how Kaien was worried since she was in the infirmary for longer than usual. Because of this explanation, she started to warm up to Kaien. He would visit the infirmary either in the place of Ukitake or just on a whim, and he slowly grew on her. Soon, she declared him her friend and would always look forward to seeing him visit.

Due to the circumstances of her death, Ryoko's body was strongly affected. Because of the lack of vitamins and minerals, her blood pressure increased and her heart became weaker, making her more prone to heart attacks despite her young age. Her body was also weaker and her growth became stunted. Unohana wondered whether or not she would be able to grow at all due to the extent of the damage. She had informed Ukitake and Yamamoto, with the former understanding what the child went through and giving some advice on how to deal with her new illness.

But finally after months of recuperation and healing, Ryoko was healed enough to go out for the first time since she was admitted. Unohana wasn't surprised when, despite Ryoko's restlessness and want to see outside the walls, she wanted to wait until Ukitake returned from the most recent meeting with Yamamoto. She trusted Unohana to the point of letting her get close, but she was still unnerved and afraid of the regular Soul Reapers. She didn't want to be alone out there, and clung to the two like a lifeline.

Ryoko was interested to see what the Seireitei looked like, and wanted to see Ukitake's Division. She understood that Unohana probably had a lot more work piled up due to her helping her, and didn't want to be a burden anymore, something Unohana quickly declined.

When Ukitake showed up, he was instantly greeted by a body throwing themselves into his stomach, arms wrapping around his middle. "Uki!" Ukitake chuckled as he bent forward slightly and patted her back. Despite being able to say his name perfectly, she still wanted to refer to him and Unohana by nickname.

"Hello to you, too, Ryoko," he greeted back. He looked over to see Unohana smiling at them.

"She was insistent on wanting you to be with her instead of me," she explained. Ryoko nodded.

"Is that so?" Ukitake asked rhetorically, looking back down at the smiling child.

"What did the Captain-Commander wish to talk to you about?" Unohana asked.

"He told me to bring Ryoko to see him, so he can see her for himself and feel her Spiritual Pressure first-hand." Ryoko stepped away to give Ukitake some space, and wrapped her fingers around his tightly, going to stand by his side.

"I see…"

The young girl looked back and forth between the two, before looking up at the older man. "Uki?" she called to him, getting his attention. She had a worried look on her face. From what they had described of this Captain-Commander guy, he seemed very scary and strong. Someone she was terrified of meeting. And they knew it.

Ukitake turned to her and knelt to her level, putting his hands on her arms. "Ryoko, don't worry, alright? I know you're scared of him, but he won't do anything to hurt you, I promise. He's a good man, and he knows about your situation. He only wants to meet you and talk for a bit, alright?" he explained softly, getting the young one to calm down slightly and nod in understanding. He nodded back and stood at his full height, letting her clasp his hand once again.

Ryoko looked at the woman who had helped her all those months, and couldn't help but feel sad that she was leaving, despite not going too far away.

She unclasped her hand from Ukitake's and ran over to Unohana, jumping up to wrap her arms around the black-haired female's neck in a hug. This action surprised Unohana, but she quickly recovered and hugged the child back. "Bye-bye, Uno," she said tearfully. The woman smiled softly.

"Now, now. You will see me again."

"I know," she replied, sniffling. "Thank you."

"I am happy to have helped you, Ryoko," Unohana said, setting the girl back down onto the ground. She pat the girl's head before she ran back to Ukitake. "You're going to see the other Soul Reapers walking around. So just remember what we talked about, okay? Take deep breaths and if you feel your condition worsening, let Ukitake know."

"Mkay."

"We should be going. Goodbye, Captain Unohana," Ukitake waved before taking Ryoko's hand and leading her out. When they were finally out of the room, Unohana frowned. She was worried for the girl, but knew in time she'd grow to be more comfortable around the others.

* * *

Ryoko stayed close to Ukitake as they walked out, keeping his hand clasped within her own. Whenever another Shinigami walked by she moved closer to the Captain out of instinct, still fearful of them. She tried not to flinch back, but it was just a natural reaction after her experience with them while alive. Her other hand clasped her necklace as another form of safety.

Ukitake glanced down at her, frowning slightly when he saw how afraid she was. Though he supposed it was a natural reaction for her. He gripped her hand tighter to provide some form of comfort before he looked forward again.

They quickly exited the Fourth Division and made their way to the First. It wasn't too far away, but it wasn't the closest place to go to, either. Their walk was spent in a comfortable silence, with Ryoko gripping his hand tighter and taking deep breaths every time a Soul Reaper came into view.

About halfway to the First Division, Ukitake felt another Spiritual Pressure coming toward them, a Captain, no less. He stopped walking suddenly, causing Ryoko to stop as well and look up at him in confusion. "Uki?"

Without warning, to Ryoko at least, another Shinigami appeared in front of them. Naturally, this scared the crap out of Ryoko, causing her to scream and dash behind Ukitake, gripping his haori in a death grip as she took deep breaths to calm her rapidly-beating heart. Ukitake blinked in surprise at her speed, looked back to her, then to the newcomer.

"Good morning, Captain."

"Ah, good morning Shinji. Please, drop the formalities. Just call me Ukitake."

"Sorry," the long-haired blonde apologized, "Yamamoto ratted me out during the last meeting for not being "formal enough" and gave me a stupidly long lecture."

"It's quite alright," Ukitake said with a small chuckle. "What brings you over?"

"I felt a strange reiatsu with you and decided to check it out for myself."

Ryoko leaned to the left to get a glimpse of the new person, but instead saw said Shinigami's face inches from her own as he crouched, a big and-to her- creepy smile plastered on his face. She squeaked and immediately hid. Ukitake sighed mentally, seeing how he seemed to enjoy scaring her for that moment.

"Please don't frighten her, Hirako-san," he reprimanded lightly, "her heart isn't in the best condition." Shinji frowned in slight confusion before he stood.

"Fine. I gotta say, she seems… different, from what I expected." Shinji looked back down at what he could see of the frightened and thin girl as she hid behind Jushiro. "She looks far too weak to be carrying such a strong Spiritual Pressure."

"Appearances aren't everything," Ukitake said before looking back at Ryoko. "Ryoko, this is Shinji Hirako. He's the Captain of the Fifth Division. He's like Unohana and I; he won't hurt you." His soothing tone calmed her down enough for her to peak once again. Half of her face became visible to Shinji and they stared at each other for a while before,

"He's creepy…"

That one comment shattered poor Shinji's soul, and he looked at her as if she ate the last piece of his favorite food. Jushiro couldn't help the chuckle of amusement from coming out.

"Don't be rude, Ryoko," he told her. Ryoko pouted.

"W-what the hell? Why am I the creepy one?!" Shinji exclaimed. Before Ukitake could respond, Ryoko spoke.

"Your smile's creepy…" they both blinked at her words before Shinji frowned, bending down to her level again. Ukitake reigned in his laughter.

"Yeah? Well at least I don't have blue hair. What'd you do? Dunk your head in a bucket of crushed blueberries?"

"Says the one with hair long enough to make him look like a girl!" she snapped back, moving a bit more out of hiding, then quickly turned to Ukitake, "No offense, Uki."

"None taken," he replied, smiling at the back-and-forth banter.

"Wha- I- So does he!" Shinji pointed to Ukitake.

"Yeah, but he wears it better. You're just a dummy blonde who looks like you fell off a tree and hit every branch on the way down." Shinji's eye twitched in aggravation as he growled at her blank face, their eyes boring into each other.

"I'd call you stupid, but that would be an insult to stupid people!" he yelled back, getting into her face. Their heads butted against each other as they glared into each other's eyes. Ukitake was debating whether or not to break it up when he heard a chuckle, surprising him. He looked down to see Ryoko chuckling and Shinji drawing back slightly with a confused look. "Oi, what's so funny?"

"You."

Shinji blinked. "What?"

"You're funny. A bit creepy, but funny." She smiled. "I like you."

"I-I… Huh?"

Shinji was at a total loss. First she was afraid, then insulting, and now she's saying she likes him? What the hell?! He looked up at Ukitake for some sort of explanation, anything that could explain what the heck just happened. But all he got was a grin from the elder Shinigami, causing him to groan.

"Can I be your friend?" Ryoko asked in a slightly timid voice.

"You just said I was creepy!"

She smiled. "But I like you. You're funny and… I don't think you're mean." Shinji blinked. "You're like Uki and Uno. You're a nice man. I wanna be friends!"

"I- we- I insulted you!" he yelled in exasperation.

She smiled a bit, and Shinji could tell she felt sad. "My big brother and I used to banter like that… It was fun because neither of us meant it…" She looked back up at him. "You remind me of him. You're smart and funny. And something tells me you're kind, too." She places a hand over her chest and looks down at it. "I don't know what it is, but I can feel it." Shinji looked at her with widened eyes before closing them and smile a bit.

"Heh… Alright then."

She looked up at him and grinned. "So… does that mean we can be friends?" she asked, her voice hopeful.

He stood and nodded. "Yeah, sure. Just don't tell Hiyori. She'd never let me live it down."

"Yay!" Ryoko exclaimed, jumping up and latching onto Shinji with enough force to knock him over from the sudden assault. He looked uncomfortable with the hug, and looked over to Ukitake for help. Said man sighed before walking over and prying her from Hirako.

"Calm down, Ryoko. Don't suffocate the poor boy." Shinji resisted the urge to growl at him for calling him "boy".

"Sorry, Goldilocks," she said sheepishly.

"G-Goldilocks?" Shinji repeated in confusion, feeling a little insulted.

"She likes to make nicknames. If she gives you one, then she obviously likes you."

Shinji sighed, resigning to his fate, though he supposed it was better than her hating him...right?

"Anyway, we should probably go. The Head Captain is waiting." Ukitake turned to the young girl and she nodded, her eyes betraying her worry. The two said goodbye to Shinji before finally making their way to the First Division.

Ryoko stood before the door to Captain Yamamoto's office, her eyes wide and full of terror. Ukitake frowned behind her, sensing her unease. No doubt the Captain feels it, too. He placed a hand on her shoulder and smiled comfortingly. She smiled back before looking at the door once more. Taking a deep breath, she opened the doors and walked in, Ukitake following right behind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know how you guys liked the chapter! If you guys have any suggestions for the story later on, don't hesitate to tell me.


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